How They Met: A Roach Tale
by Gazlover12-Canada
Summary: Ever wonder how Roach first met Captain Mactavish and Ghost? Here's a story of it! When Roach first comes into the 141, it isn't exactly pleasant. He's weak, teased, and Ghost seems to hold a grudge against him for no reason. What will happen?
1. Chapter 1

**a/n: Hey guys, this is a wonderful story that my older brother wrote, so give him the credit. I's truly a great story, so give it a try hm?**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to IW. ;)  
**

Gary Sanderson shifted uncomfortably in his bus seat. Once again, he had misjudged his situation, and packed three enormous duffel bags to bring to his new outpost, while most of the guys had two, or even one.

"Hey Roaachhh! You look uncomfortable. Want a pillow?" Meat, one of Roach's 'friends' called from across the bus.

"Sure dude," Roach said.

"Sorry, but I'm to comfy. Maybe next year," Meat said, grinning and resting his head on a fluffy pillow. Roach merely sighed. He should be used to Meat's antics by now. They had only known each other for two days and already Roach was suffering.

"So, they tell you anything about our outpost?" Roach asked. Worm leaned over the seat.

"They say the Captain's some sort of beast. Unkillable, they say. And his First Lieutenant's supposed to be a real ass," Worm said with a grin. Roach groaned. He didn't enjoy meeting new people. It had been hell meeting the guys here two days ago. But after an apple to the head and a nose full of spaghetti sauce due to Meat, and clumsiness, he had become friends with half the squad. The bus stopped with a screech. The driver looked back.

"Off the bus, hustle!" he called. Roach tried to get out into the isle, but was pushed back by all the others. He ended up last. Struggling to carry the duffel bags, Roach bustled along the isle, and finally reached the doors. He stepped out, and his boot got caught on the stair. He plowed face first into the ground, two of his bags flying forward, the other coming down hard on top of his head. He heard laughter amongst the ringing in his ears, his eyes watering from the initial shock of being smacked in the head with a forty pound bag. Shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand, he looked up.

"Well that's one of the more, ahem, extravagant entrances I've seen." A thick British accent said mockingly. The sight of the man above his was in itself, a shock. He wore combat boots, khaki pants and a black shirt. To top it off, a balaclava like no other covered his face. It was imprinted with a worn skull, and exposed only the man's eyes, which were hidden behind dark sunglasses. Roach could see a bright blue beneath the sunglasses.

"First Lieutenant. Call me Ghost. Actually, just call me sir." Ghost held a hand out. Roach grasped it thankfully, and Ghost pulled him to his feet.

"Clumsiness is one of the better ways to get killed in combat mate," Ghost said. Roach collected his bags uncomfortably.

"Um, thank you sir," Roach said, walking to join the others. Ghost folded his arms. As Roach walked by, he ever so slightly stuck out his foot, resulting in Roach falling again, his bags flying everywhere, and the entire squad going into hysterics.

"Shut it, or it's push ups for the lot o' you," Ghost said, walking towards the command building, slamming the door. Roach sighed as the others left him. He gathered his belongings once again, and made his way to the barracks.

The next day, the team awoke at five am, sharp. They gathered in the yard for roll call. This was where the Captain would make his appearance for the first time. Roach saw that Ghost was already there. He wasn't sure if that was good, or bad. He suddenly felt a hand at his waist, and the next minute his pants were around his ankles, exposing boxers covered with little elephants.

"Elephants, Roach? Tsk tsk, I expected bugs." Meat said, grinning. Roach quickly pulled up his pants, and got into line with all the others. They stood for five minutes. Then ten. Then twenty. Everyone was silent. Ghost just stood with his arms folded. Meat broke the silence.

"Hey, wheres the Captain?" he asked. Suddenly, he was in a headlock, by Ghost. Roach breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't him this time.

"You wanna disrespect the Captain again you bloody idiot?" Ghost yelled.

"No I'm sorry!" Meat cried out. Ghost forced him closer to the ground.

"You say one word out of line and I can kill you in three seconds with my bare hand you twit!" Ghost growled, holding him down to the ground.

Roach snorted slightly, and every head turned to him, including Ghost's. Roach looked around, pure terror etched into his face.

"Uhh, excuse me. Sneezed," Roach said.

"Like hell you sneezed," Ghost said threateningly, dropping Meat and advancing on Roach. Ghost grabbed the front of his shirt.

"I should make you eat the damned ground for this! Laugh at me and you'll be in a world of hurt, you want that you-"

"At ease Ghost." A new accent rang through the air. It was a heavy Scottish one, and the voice was powerful and loud. Ghost, who had Roach almost in the air and his fist raised, immediately let go and stepped back, folding his arms.

"Sorry sir. You know these new recruits. Step out of line, and you gotta rule with an iron fist." Ghost said.

"Too right mate. But it's early. I had to cut my coffee short." The man said. Ghost stepped aside, and Roach got a good look at the man. He was at least six feet tall, and looked like he could snap a neck with ease. His hair was a short Mohawk, and a deep scar cut down the side of his face. He wore a white t-shirt and khaki pants, with standard boots. A holster on his hip held an M1911 pistol. His eyes were blue, and his face concentrated on all of the men, not missing one.

"Welcome to the 141. Please, call me Captain Mactavish. I'm sure you all know why you're here. If not, then listen up. We are the best. This task force takes pride in taking the fewest casualties, making the most kills, and stopping terror on every inch of the planet. There is nothing we cannot do, no enemy we cannot defeat. I want to see just how good you all are. For the next four weeks, you will undergo some of the most intense training of your lives. This makes the marine corps look like a picnic, so be ready. You start in an hour, and Ghost supervises most of your training. So behave. I'm generally not around, unless I'm inspecting you for weekly progress. That means I can't stop Ghost if he decides to kill you. I understand nicknames are a necessity here, so I'm going to ask you each your nickname. I've already reviewed your files, so I know your faces. Alright, Daniel McCarther?"

"Archer, Captain Mactavish."

"Randy Anders?"

"Toad, Captain Mactavish."

"Ah, Meat. I believe we met last night... in the, uh... toilets..." Mactavish said awkwardly.

"Uh haha, sorry Captain Mactavish."

"Don't let it happen again Meat."

"It won't sir," Meat said, grinning widely. Roach could only imagine what had happened. Several more men were listed, then came Roach.

"Gary Sanderson?"

"Roach, Captain Mactavish."

"Hmm. Roach, how would you like a small op, Wednesday at 0900? Ghost and I need another member."

"Me? Uh, all due respect sir, but I havn't even done my training!"

"You've been through basics though."

"We've all been through basics. Couldn't somebody else..."

Ghost spoke up.

"Quit refusing the Captain. It's not every day you get an offer instead of an order here. You should be honered." Ghost said.

Roach swallowed.

"Alright sir. I'll go."

Mactavish smiled warmly.

"I'll brief you tomorrow morning after roll call. Don't worry to much. Were not expecting a live fire situation. More of an in and out kind of op." Mactavish said, patting Roach on the shoulder, before moving on to call out the rest of the men.

**a/n: How was it? Funny right? More chapters to come, please leave a review! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the second chapter! Have fun reading!**

The first day of training was hell. Roach always seemed to be just seconds off, Meat repeatedly teased him, and he was on Ghost's bad side. After running an extra two miles for 'misconduct in the training excersises' as Ghost had said, Roach couldn't help it. He was so exhausted after a four mile trek through rough terrain in the woods that he threw up. And when that happened, Ghost merely called back to keep up, and the rest of the men jogged through. At the end, Roach was last. Meat and Royce patted Roach on the back, but Ghost told him that he needed to do better if he was participating in the op on Wednesday.

Ghost knocked on the door to the command center, but entered before he could get an answer. Captain Mactavish didn't look up from the paperwork he was scribbling away at.

"What is it Ghost?" he asked, rather bored sounding.

"Sir, just wondering something. Of all the new recruits to bring on this op, why Sanderson?" Mactavish looked up, interested now.

"I'm not really sure. Something about him just... calls out to me."

"But sir, he got all the lowest times on the courses, he was exhausted after the run, and he's so under confident-"

"I don't know. Ghost, you always push people over the edge. No offense, but you're kind of scary. I'm not even sure what to expect of you half the time." Mactavish said, grinning slightly.

"Maybe we could bring one of the stronger ones. Worm for instance."

"Were bringing Roach. Let's go grab a drink. Shepard's had me up to my neck in paperwork lately."

"Alright sir. But I'm warning you, Sanderson isn't going to want to go by the end of tomorrow. I'll see to that."

Roach lay in bed, so worn out and sore from the hard day's training. It seemed he had barely slept at all when the door to the barracks slammed open and Ghost was banging a spoon against a pot.

"Get up ladies. Today after roll call, were gonna work hard. Captain Mactavish wants to see what you're all capable of, so work hard, and don't screw around!" Ghost turned and left, and the men all lined up outside. Roach was sore. But Ghost called all of their names, and they yelled their responses. After all the men were sent off to run the morning mile, Ghost stopped Roach.

"Get your arse over to the command center for a briefing with Mactavish. Then meet us at the ropes. You'll run your mile tonight, with me." Ghost said, then turned and walked away. Roach swallowed. Ghost really had it out for him, and Roach hated it. He had never met someone in the military who specifically targeted FNG's for torment, and that was exactly what Ghost had done.

Roach knocked on the door to command.

"Come in."

Roach entered, to find Mactavish fiddling with a projector.

"Ahh, hello Roach. Good to see you."

"Likewise sir," Roach said, saluting Mactavish. Mactavish chuckled.

"At ease Roach. I've never been big on being saluted. Please, just call me Captain Mactavish. Or skip the Captain part even. All that 'sir' crap reminds me of Ghost." Mactavish said heartily.

Before Roach could respond, an image appeared on the screen.

"There we go. I've already briefed Ghost, so we can have a nice chat. Were going to be collecting some Intel from a contact of mine at a secluded location. You and Ghost are on security detail. Were not expecting trouble, but this contact doesn't have the cleanest record. Were lucky to get it from him. Shepard payed enough to get the damn papers." Mactavish finished.

"Shepard, Captain Mactavish?" Roach asked, a bit confused.

"Oh right, you guys haven't met him yet. General Shepard is my direct commander. Task Force 141 is his personal, elite task force. He has authority over all of us. He'll be joining us for dinner Thursday night, after our operation. You'll be paid, of course. I'm sure you'll find some use for the money. I always do." Mactavish said, laughing at the last part.

Roach nodded, and said his thanks. As he opened the door, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Roach, don't worry to much about Ghost. He generally has a bad attitude when it comes to training new recruits. I swear, he's just lazy and doesn't want to train you all. If it were up to me, I'd train you all myself to save Ghost the trouble. He's a good friend of mine, and I'm sure in time, he'll be a good friend of yours to. I'll see you all at noon to supervise your course times." Mactavish said, patting Roach on the back.

Roach wanted to tell Mactavish everything that had happened. How this wasn't some petty rivalry between trainer and trainee, that it was harassment. But he knew that the consequences would be a lot worse, because Ghost would find out.

"Thank you Captain Mactavish," Roach simply said, and walked out to the ropes for another day in hell.

**A/N: How was it? Good? Amazing? Review and let us know! Remember all credit goes to my brother Eric. Another chapter to come!**


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n: Yay, my brother has typed another chapter! The next chapter will be submitted on Tuesday!**

By the end of the day, Roach was seriously reconsidering taking the offer for the op. He wondered why Ghost was harrassing him, of all people. When Roach landed wrong after sliding down the rope, he had to do it again. When Meat tripped him during laps, Ghost simply told Meat to focus. When Roach couldn't hit the last target at the firing range, he was made to run the track once with fifty pounds of sandbags strapped to his back.

At noon, Mactavish walked to the obstacle course. Everyone ran the course with average times, earning a compliment from him each time. Ghost told several they could do better, but they had passed. Roach was nervous. He didn't want the Captain thinking he was weak. He already had Ghost for that.

"Start whenever you're ready Roach," Mactavish called. Roach gripped his rifle, gritted his teeth, and ran. His heart pounded as targets popped up. Loud beeps sounded as he shot them, usually with two to three bullets dead center. Ghost screamed his times throughout the course. At 23 seconds, Roach's heart was pounding. Just one little stretch left. Two enemy targets, five civilian targets. Roach fired and the top of one target flew off. He sprinted forward and fired one shot, which blew through the heart of the second enemy.

"Sprint and dive!" called Ghost.

So he did. He threw himself forward, skidding over the line and digging a line in the dirt. He got up and breathing heavily, sweating, grinned at Mactavish.

"26.5. A new record." Mactavish said proudly. Roach had hit 26.5! The lowest before had been 28.2, which Ozone had run.

Ghost looked furious. Arms folded, he stormed off towards the command center, shouting "take five" as he left.

"Look's like you proved Ghost wrong. Nice job Roach." Mactavish said, patting Roach firmly on the back.

"Thank you sir. Um, may I ask a question?" Roach said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Anything Roach."

"Well, have you and Ghost run the course at all?"

"Of course! Ghost was at 19 seconds. I got 17, he didn't speak with me for a few days." Mactavish said, his voice full of laughter.

"But believe me, 27.5's very difficult to accomplish on your first run. By the end of the month, the average is usually about 23."

Roach looked astounded at Mactavish's time. But then again, this man was supposed to be a military god. Roach thanked him, and joined his friends for some water.

Later that night, all of the men finished training. Roach, on the other hand, was made to go run a mile. With Ghost. It was dark, and they walked at least three feet from each other. Ghost had his hands in his pockets, not saying a word. Not once had Roach seen him without that creepy mask.

When they got to the track, Roach started to run. Ghost easily overtook him, and it barely even looked like he was running.

"Pick up the pace Sanderson." Ghost said coldly. It was odd. After Roach had gotten the new record at the obstacle course, Ghost had been mostly quiet, occasionally giving a stale remark when Roach messed up. Ghost clearly did not enjoy being proven wrong.

Roach took the opportunity alone with Ghost to try and at least understand the situation.

"May I ask a question sir?"

"No." Roach hadn't counted on a flat out refusal. Going with his gut instincts, he decided to continue anyways.

"Sir, why are you doing this to me?" Roach asked. Ghost stopped dead.

"What do you mean Sanderson?" Ghost said. It was more of a demand than a question.

"I mean why me? You just picked me to harass, me to run all the extra laps and-" Roach was cut off as Ghost was suddenly pinning him down. In a matter of seconds, he was on the ground, Ghost's knee digging into his back.

"Sanderson, you ask one more irrelevant question, and I swear to god you will not be accepted into this task force. We are the best. You are not." Ghost sneered angrily.

"Your wrong. I was the best at the obstacle course today!" Roach argued. Ghost got up. He pulled Roach up with him.

"You have one chance. Tomorrow is Wednesday, and that means we've got an op. I will personally leave you behind to those contacts tomorrow. Mactavish trusts me. So get running, before I give you a reason to." Ghost sounded immediately calm. That was the scariest Roach had ever seen him. So he ran, Ghost a good fifty feet ahead of him.

The next day, Roach packed slowly. He was terrified. He just hoped he wouldn't be sitting next to Ghost on the way.

"Dude, that guy's gonna kill you," Meat said teasingly.

"No he won't. Captain Mactavish will be there." Roach said, trying to cheer himself up. It didn't exactly work.

"Yeah, you hope so. What happens if Mactavish isn't watching?" Meat said, more interested in the magazine he was reading than Roach's situation.

Roach decided to change the subject.

"So, what did you do to Mactavish the first night at the toilets?" Roach asked. Meat grinned.

"Dude, strictly confidential. Nobody finds out, me and the Mac agreed." Meat said.

"The Mac? Nice. Well, wish me luck I guess." Roach said.

"Good luck little girl." Meat said, laughing.

**Review and tell me how you like it! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

"Nice to see you up bright and early Roach. Ready for your first job in the 141?" Mactavish was packed and ready, an M4A1 slung over his back.

"Don't worry, this is just for security. This contact has bodyguards that don't exactly appreciate the military."

Roach swallowed and inspected his own weapon. He knew it all to well. Every time before he went into combat, he had a habit of double checking his weapon. Once, his gun had jammed at the last second, and he was almost killed. He had been able to stab his enemy in the heart before the man had had the chance to shoot him, but since then, he always did it.

"Ready sir," Roach said.

"Good. Let's go get Ghost." Mactavish said.

Roach nearly groaned out loud. He desperately wanted to avoid Ghost at all costs, but now it was inevitable. Ghost was waiting by the truck.

"Let's do this." Ghost said, and they got in the truck. The drive itself was mostly quiet. Roach sat in the back of the truck, Ghost drove, and Mactavish rode shotgun.

When they got to town, Mactavish spoke.

"There's my contact. Ghost, you watch our six. Roach, you'll be handed the Intel. Don't speak, I'll do all the talking. This guy isn't to trusting. But the documents he contains have important info on one of Makarov's operating stations. So be careful."

They all exited the truck slowly, Ghost staying a few feet behind. Roach watched the contact, an African American man with dark sunglasses and four personal bodyguards. He looked around, but everything seemed quiet. It was quite spooky.

"Your general is a lucky man. These documents are to die for," the contact spoke in a low tone.

"That's why we need them. So people don't have to die," Mactavish said. The man laughed.

"Not my problem. Get out of- wait, move now!" The man yelled, pushing Mactavish aside. A sniper bullet hit the contact in the shoulder, showering one guard with blood. As the guard wiped blood from his eyes, a second shot blew his head apart.

"Get down Roach!" Mactavish yelled, pulling Roach down. He saw Ghost take cover behind the truck, M4A1 at the ready.

"I'll give you guys covering fire! Get to the truck, hurry!" Ghost yelled. He held up a hand, then broke cover, firing his weapon along the rooftops.

"Go, go!" Mactavish yelled. So Roach ran, his heart thudding. He hated snipers. He felt to damn vulnerable.

Just as Ghost was reaching cover again, a man lept from a low rooftop with a knife. He screamed furiously. Ghost was unable to react before the man kicked the weapon from his hand and punched him hard in the face, throwing him to the ground.

"Dammit, Ghost!" Roach yelled, raising his weapon. The man swung the knife down, stabbing at Ghost's throat. Roach fired once, and a pop signified the headshot. The man collapsed on Ghost, who shoved the body away and stood shakily.

Roach just stood there, unable to move or speak. Mactavish quickly ran over to the body.

"Assassin. Check out this tattoo. He's one of Makarov's all right," Mactavish said, turning to the spot where his contact had been. But in the panic, he had escaped, leaving the body of his guard in the dirt.

Roach finally spoke.

"How did they know we would be here?"

Mactavish looked disgusted.

"Makarov always knows. One step ahead, no matter where we chase him. Those papers must be important for him to send one of his own though."

Roach clutched the folder with the papers tightly. He got in the backseat. Ghost said nothing during the entire drive back. Roach simply stared out the window, watching as the world grew dark.

Back at base, everyone was at the barracks. Roach began walking there, but felt a hand stop him.

"Come with me."

It was Ghost. This was the last thing Roach had expected, but nonetheless, he followed Ghost. They walked for a long time, until finally, they came to a small stream at a clearing in the woods.

"I usually come out here when I need to clear my head. I really need that now. You smoke?" Ghost asked, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. Roach had been a smoker before, then decided to quit, after watching a family member develop lung cancer. He was hesitant at first, but Ghost was being friendly for a change, so he accepted. Ghost lit them both, and they sat and stared at the trickling water for awhile.

"I never got to thank you out there," Ghost said quietly.

"It was nothing sir," Roach said, unsure what Ghost was playing at.

"No, it was skill. And bravery. Most people seize up in a situation they're not ready for. You didn't." Ghost said, taking off his sunglasses. Roach was intrigued at the deep blue of his eyes. He cleared his throat.

"Anyone could have done it sir. Captain Mactavish was there, he-"

"But Mactavish wasn't the one to fire his weapon was he? You saved my life." Ghost persisted. Roach gave in.

"Sir, I'm a bit confused. Why are you so friendly to me? Just for one thing that any soldier would do for another?" Ghost closed his eyes.

"Truth is, I don't really have any friends."

Roach instantly understood what was going on here.

"I don't let myself get to know people. Things in my past, things I can't change..." Ghost trailed off, a painful memory clearly surfacing.

"It sounds awful when I say it, but to me, the more of an ass I am to people, the less remorse I feel when... I lose them." The truth came out. Roach could understand loss. Clearly, someone very close to Ghost had died, and he was pushing everyone he knew away from him.

"But sir, why me?" Roach asked, already knowing the answer.

"Because I have a good feeling about you. The instant you tripped off that bus, I wanted to get to know you, at least as a team member. Then that little red flag in my head told me not to. Told me to steer clear of you, and hate you, so I wouldn't snap if you were lost out there in combat. Were in a secret task force, we fight the most dangerous enemies, casualties aren't rare. Task Force's make you get to know people, and that's just something I can't bring myself to do."

Roach looked down at the burning end of the cigarette he held. Ashes whisked away, never to be seen again. It was a cold irony that Roach could see. The ashes would leave, die out, just as soldiers did. Ghost was hurt.

"Sir, I understand. I've lost a loved one... It painful." Roach said softly.

Ghost tilted his head back, then did the unexpected. He took the skull mask off his head. Underneath, his face was battle hardened. There was a small bruise under his eye from the punch to the face from the assassin, and his hair was blonde. His eyes were blue, but when he turned his head, something stood out. A scar.

Sure, Roach was used to battle scars, but somehow, this one didn't look accidental. It was deep, not natural, to long and curved to be anything battle inflicted. Roach could only imagine what had happened to him.

"I've got a lot of scars Roach. This one is the one people ask about the most. So I don't let them see it. I can't. With this mask, I can actually be a Ghost. To the world. To myself. My names Simon. Simon Riley. But please, as a friend, call me Ghost."

Roach looked at Ghost, knowing some of what he felt. He suspected at some point, Ghost had been tortured, and had lost someone very close to him.

"I don't look at a person for their scars sir. I look at them to see if they're a good person." Roach said sincerely.

It was silent for a long while. Roach took one last drag on his cigarette, then flicked it away, watching as it trailed sparks then disappeared into the stream. After a long time, Ghost broke the silence.

"Good person eh? Why Meat then?" he asked. This made Roach laugh.

"He's a good guy. Maybe a bit childish, but he's got the right intentions. He hit me with an apple. That's how I became his friend. And I slipped and landed face first in a plate of spaghetti. That's kinda why I never had to many friends. People made fun of me for being an unlucky clutz. I'm just glad those guys appreciate it." Roach said, grinning.

Ghost snorted.

"Whatever floats your boat mate. Hey, after dinner with Shepard tomorrow, you wanna head over to the bar in town with Mactavish and me for drinks? It's kind of a thing we do after each successful op. And you exceeded expectations." Ghost said, putting his mask back on. Roach smiled widely.

"Sure dude! Oh, and I got one question for you before we head back." Roach said excitedly.

"What's that?"

"Why Mactavish?"

Ghost smirked under his mask.

"Annoying as hell, that's how he became my friend. And I recall saving his life at one point, so he owes me a lot of drinks." Ghost said jokingly.

"Well, I can buy tomorrow-"

"Not a chance! Mactavish's got a life's worth of dept to me. He'll be buying."

Roach and Ghost got up and walked to the base. Everyone was asleep, and Ghost looked super scary at night with his mask.

"See you tomorrow for training mate. Good luck with me. Staying up this late makes me cranky in the morning," Ghost said cheerfully.

Roach laughed.

"Thanks Ghost."

**a/n: I need you readers to answer a very important question in a review. Should this be continued, or should it end here? You are the ones who read it, so it's up to you:)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's another chapter! I bet you'll laugh at Mactavish in this one ;)**

The entire task force had gathered in the mess hall thirty minutes before dinner. Roach was chatting with Meat. He had told him that he and Ghost were cool now, but didn't give any specifics. He had a feeling that most of what Ghost said was meant to be kept very private.

Mactavish was chatting with Ghost at the end of a table towards the front of the mess hall. Suddenly, the door at the other end of the room opened. Every new task force member turned their head. A man walked into the room. He was tall, and looked to be in his early fifties. He wore a U.S. Army Rangers outfit, with a beret that signified his three star general status. He walked confident and strong, head high. He appeared to be the kind of man no one wants to mess with.

"Task Force 141," he said in a deep, slightly gravelly voice. It was loud and powerful, thundering through the entire mess hall.

"General Shepard. Nice to see you sir," Mactavish said, standing to shake the General's hand.

"Likewise Mactavish. I heard there was a complication with the op."

"Nothing Roach couldn't handle sir," Mactavish said proudly.

"Roach?" Shepard questioned, looking to the new recruits.

"Gary Sanderson. State yourself Roach." Mactavish called.

"Seargent Gary Sanderson sir!" Roach called to Shepard.

"Good work Sanderson. I'd like to see you all complete successful ops by the time your training is finished." Shepard said, glancing at all the young faces.

Shepard cleared his throat, and everyone went completely silent. Shepard looked around the room.

"It's nice to see so many fresh faced young men here. Patriots, heroes willing to serve their countries, the world. You are the best there is. I'm sure Mactavish has already listed the reasons why the 141 is the best, but let me fill in the blanks. We deal with the most dangerous situations on the planet. Without us, this world would have already fallen apart. We are the reason for peace. It doesn't matter what we go up against. Any enemy we fight is ten times weaker than you. Remember that out on the battlefield. Your countries thank you. Your family's thank you. Your world thanks you. Now, lets eat." Shepard said, sitting with Ghost and Mactavish.

Dinner was loud, full of laughter and hearty talk.

"Yeah, it was no big deal really. Nothing I couldn't handle," Roach folded his arms, outright bragging to his teammates about the op. Meat and Royce were astounded.

"Seriously? He took Ghost down? Nu-uh!" Royce said in disbelief.

"I'm serious! I got the guy before the Captain even!" Roach said smugly.

The other guys were amazed. Not long after dinner, General Shepard walked up to Roach, an envelope in his hand.

"Heard you saved the day. Good job soldier," Shepard said, pushing the envelope into Roach's left hand, then shaking his right enthusiastically.

"Thank you sir. It's an honor to serve the Task Force."

"Of course," Shepard said, before following a happy looking Mactavish out the door.

"So, what did you think of Shepard?" Ghost asked Roach, driving through the bright lights of a town several miles from the base.

"Uh, he's... dedicated, and uh, really likes being a leader..." Roach said, trying to think of the right words to describe the powerful General.

"He's a self absorbed bastard isn't he?" Ghost said, chuckling. This earned him a punch to the arm from Mactavish, who was riding in the passenger seat.

"Just drive Ghost. Pretty soon you'll be wading in the heavenly pool of hard liquor," Mactavish said cheerfully.

"Damn straight!" Roach said, earning laughs from both.

All three men, for the first time, looked like a bunch of normal guys. Ghost had removed his creepy mask, much to his dismay. He would have kept it for drinking if it had not been for Mactavish's constant worry about 'the civilians thinking your a lunatic.' Roach finally didn't have to carry a bunch of gear around, and they wore sneakers instead of heavy boots. It felt strange to have running shoes on rather than combat boots. To light.

"There she is. Tammy's Tavern, best spot in the whole town," Ghost said excitedly. Clearly the man was a fan of this.

They pulled up and shut off the car. Ghost excitedly got out.

"Slow down Ghost, you aren't getting far without the money," Mactavish called, pulling out his wallet.

"Sure thing, let's get in there and have a party!" Ghost said, fist pumping the air.

Roach laughed, and walked in with Mactavish. They settled themselves at bar stools, and Mactavish ordered them all a beer to start.

"Roach, you've never seen this man drink. It's crazy!" Ghost said, patting Mactavish on the shoulder.

"Yeah well we've got to go home somehow don't we?" Mactavish asked.

"So we'll take a cab! You owe me Mac," Ghost said with a grin, as their drinks were set on the counter.

So they drank. Roach, not really the best partyer, was feeling woozy on his third. Mactavish was at his fifth, Ghost on six.

"R- Roach! You love the one forty one right?" Mactavish slurred his words. He was drunk. Ghost seemed to be a a little bit, but not nearly like Mactavish.

"Mactavish, see, this is what we need! A third guy to throw some jokes, give us a good laugh. Roach is a good guy you know, we'll teach him to drink eventually!" Ghost said loudly, laughing and slapping Roach on the back. Roach grinned.

"Yeah this is great! Never thought my first week in training would end with getting wasted with my superiors," Roach said.

"Definitely! Hey Roach, Roach," Mactavish nudged his arm.

"See that girl? I'm going to get her number. I'm doing it, right now," Mactavish said, standing. He approached a group of women at a table.

Ghost and Roach watched as Mactavish walked over, intrigued by the sight of Mactavish trying to get a girl's number. It was pretty hilarious.

"Thirty seconds," Ghost said, laying ten dollars on the table.

"Twenty dude, your on!" Roach said, throwing down ten as well.

They watched as Mactavish leaned on the table. About five seconds later, the girls looked at him, laughing, and Mactavish walked back, number in hand, grinning.

Ghost groaned and pushed his money at Roach, getting a good laugh from the new recruit. The rest of the night was fun. They talked about old times, Roach discussed his childhood, much to the others amusement, and Ghost gave a story about his first time drinking, which Roach nearly died laughing at.

"We should go. Tomorrow's Friday, we still got training tomorrow." Ghost said, regrettably.

"Damn, hope I can still stand in the morning," Roach said, getting up and stretching slowly.

"You know what? Late training, give them all an extra two to sleep in. I know my head's going to hurt in the morning," Mactavish said, getting up and leading the other two to the door. In five minutes, the men piled into the back of a cab, Ghost complaining about the smell.

"Roach, you wanna get the car tomorrow?" Ghost asked. Roach accepted happily, and the cab took them as far as it could, leaving them to walk through the non civilian area. Roach was just happy to be with his friends.

**How was it? Please review!**


	6. READ NOW PLEASE!

Hey guys! I have some news for you all. First of all, this is me, Gazlover12, aka Kristen, not my brother. So you all know how this story is my older brother Eric's right? Well, he's decided not to continue it. For no good reason. He's an asshole, but what older brother isn't right? Anyway, that leaves me with two choices.** One**, I could continue writing this story, without my brother. I cant promise that my writing style is the same as his, but I do type humor. **Second**, I could just delete the story and it can be over with. What do you guys want? You people read it, so you should have the right to decide! Leave a review please, and tell me what you think. Thank you! :D

Again, I am sosososo sorry. Feel free to leave reviews telling my brother he's being dumb if you want ;)

Peace OUT! :D


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